A few setbacks, but still progressing

Didn't do any exercise earlier in the week - had a sore throat, which felt like an infection that might be heading into my ears. Was a bit disappointed not to be able to train (Good sign!) but willingness not to train could have been an indication of a waning in motivation. Fortunately, this program has a longer term goal with a very specific target in mind, so there's no way I could allow it to slip for more than a few days. Went to the gym for a sauna, just to ensure the habit of going there didn't slip back into one of heading into the town centre with my colleagues at lunch time. Think that was a good idea!

Did my cardio class last night and went pretty hard for an hour, but pulled up with what I thought was cramps in my calf towards the end - now regret not icing that as it's still a bit tender.

Used the lower leg inactivity as an excuse to concentrate on upper body in the weights room today and after some chest & back exercises, went all out on the show-pony triceps and biceps (too vain for words!). Still shit-house at the pull-ups but much better performance on the dips (3 sets of 10 no bother! which is great progress).

Food wise I also had a wee slip up, succumbing to the temptations of a Cornish pasty. Beautiful meat filling right enough, but the pastry, the pastry - delicious but full of fat. On the other hand we had roast Chicken on Sunday and I made my own stock (Chicken carcase, an onion and a carrot in the pot for a few hours - skim the fat away in the pot of you can, but I cheat and once it's strained, put it in the fridge to remove the top layer after it has solidified). Made a sublime lentil broth with the stock, using Scotch-broth mix soaked overnight, an onion sauted in butter (I know! I know!) and the stock. Really chuffed with it, even if I do say so myself.

Net result? I know you're waiting for this bit on tenterhooks. Weighed in at 86.5kg, exactly 2kg lighter than 2 weeks and 1 day ago. That's 4.4lb in old money and pretty much what the health professionals would suggest was a healthy amount of weight loss over the period. Just got to keep it going, as I think those first few kgs were really the low hanging fruit, ripe for falling off.

Friday on my mind

Friday's are going to be a tough challenge in this quest for improvement.
I've been in the habit of enjoying a roll with tattie-scone and lorne sausage on a Friday morning for some years now. Last year I started going for Friday pub lunches with a colleague, and they are magic! Great value too! but normally accompanied by chips. Indeed the menu is Fish & Chips, Gammon Steak and Chip, Beefburger & Chips, Sausage & Mash or a Caesar salad. On a good day we might go for a pint or 2 between work and home.

Clearly the Roll & Lorne have to go ;-(
For lunch, I'm still going to have my pub lunch, but I'll forgo the pint of Best that washes it down. There won't be any stopping off at the pub on the way home, the money saved will go on a Euro-millions ticket instead.

Result:
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Gammon Steak, runny Egg and chips with Mayo and Tomato Ketchup.
Pint of Soda & Lime!
Very delicious, but a wee bit naughty...

Food & Drink

So, I'm not a junk food addict, I just happen to love it! but I also love cooking fresh food at home, so it's really shouldn't be that difficult to cut out some of the crap that I eat, simply through plain laziness.

I'm not going to go into this in an utterly over the top manner though, so on the banned list from now are : crisps, chocolate bars, chips especially the Pie beans & Chips variety - which are utterly banned, whilst other chips are restricted to once per week if part of a meal deemed to be acceptable by my own variable standard, lorne sausage (hmm! it hurts to think about that one... maybe I am an addict...) and.... sniff! Haggis pasties :'-(

I generally don't drink fizzy juice anyway, but maybe I take too much coffee, so I'm going to restrict myself to 3 cups per day and replace any others with water or Peppermint tea, which I'm told is good for the digestive system.

Alcohol is off the menu at home and will be restricted to only 1 day per week - possibly reinforcing my already terrible binge drinking habit, so that'll be under review. Hangovers are strictly banned though!